About one-year ago, the community’s quiet streams were turned into destructive torrents, sending trees, boulders and other debris barreling through yards, roads and bridges.
Since then, the municipality has been contracting out a series of construction projects, many of them funded by provincial and federal grants.
Most of the projects involve reinforcing riverbanks, restoring damaged structures and repairing roads.
During a presentation to council on July 8, Drain said flood recovery work is ongoing and gave updates on six completed contracts.
Drain said contract work near Tent Mountain, Blairmore, Coleman, Hillcrest and the community’s bridges and backcountry roads.

Tent Mountain Road
The Tent Mountain Road contract was awarded to Chinook Pipeline, a construction company based out of Pincher Creek.
Between two sites, Chinook is responsible for 575 meters of bank stabilization along sections of the community’s watercourses. They are also completing 415 meters of road realignment and resurfacing.

Coleman
Data presented by Drain states that contract work being done by Grumpy’s Landscaping, a company based in Pincher Creek, at the Knowles Flats access near 63rd Street is 80 per cent complete.
Similar work being done near the Willow Drive/Star Creek culvert is also 80 per cent complete.

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Blairmore
Work on Lyons Creek between the Crowsnest River and 20th Avenue is 40 per cent complete, work on the 19th Avenue Bridge over Lyons Creek is 35 per cent complete and work on the TransCanada Pipeline crossing is fully complete.
Work near the hospital has not commenced due to the fish window timing and stream flows but is scheduled to begin July 15.

Hillcrest
GW Cox was awarded the contract to work on a number of sites in Hillcrest, the majority of which have been completed.
Work near East Hillcrest Drive is ongoing where 1125 square metres of ditch grading and shaping is required.
The Hillcrest Reservoir Access Road needs 2750 square metres of grading and shaping.
A site downstream from 11th Avenue on Drum Creek needs 60 metres of bank stabilization on both banks and footbridges are to be replaced.

Backcountry roads
The Lyons Creek logjam was successfully dismantled in the spring.
There are 29 sites along Sartoris Road, McGillvary Creek, Adanac Road and Gold Creek surveyed on June 24 and 25 but tenders for these jobs have yet to be awarded.
Drain said the work is still awaiting approval from Alberta Environment and Sustainable Resource Development.

Environmental impact
To limit environmental impact, the federal fisheries department regulates when and how equipment can be used near waterways.
Rare species, such as the Rocky Mountain cutthroat trout, live in the area and it is illegal to do in-stream work during their breeding times.
“It depends on the native species of fish that are in there,” explained Jeff Drain, senior associate at Stantec Engineering. “The creeks near Tent Mountain Access Road and Crowsnest Lake have the most restrictive fisheries windows in Alberta because of the cutthroat and lake trout.”
In September, Stantec will be hosting an open house on the ongoing flood recovery efforts, said Drain.